Andy Burnham admits "things could have been done better" to stop Oldham illegal rave

The Mayor of Greater Manchester says that "lessons need to be learned" in order to stop future illegal raves, like the gathering that took place last weekend at Daisy Nook.

Greater Manchester Police has admitted knowing about the event, but they were still unable to prevent it from taking place.

Roughly 4,000 people attended the event, in breach of coronavirus lockdown measures, leaving the site covered in rubbish.

Volunteers from the local area helped authorities clean up the mess the following morning - despite having been kept awake by the loud music from the event.

Now, Andy Burnham has admitted that "things could have been done better" to prevent the rave.

Officers say they broke up a similar event, understood to be in Hattersley in Tameside, and that they believe those who were planning to go to that gathering instead went to Daisy Nook.

Police say they knew the general area of the rave - but weren't able to find it in time to stop it.

Because of that, Mr Burnham thinks the gathering of intelligence before the event started could have been better - and is asking the public to inform the police of any future events so they can be better prepared to stop them.

The Greater Manchester Mayor also added that communication between the police and both Oldham and Tameside Councils wasn't up to scratch - leading councillors in Oldham to believe there was nothing to worry about and that the event would be stopped.

Mr Burnham said: "There could have been better gathering of intelligence beforehand. GMP's communication with the two councils concerned could have been stronger. Therefore, there are lessons to be learned.

"I think what you had last Saturday was, obviously, the good weather and the changes that the government had announced just a few days before with regards to people's new freedoms.

"It came together and presented huge challenges for the police.

"But I'm afraid it doesn't explain away the irresponsible actions of the adults who went to those events and the parents who dropped off at those events.

"What happened last weekend was unacceptable, putting a huge strain on police resources and putting people's lives at risk. 

"Lessons have been learned from these incidents, and I'm pleased GMP will be taking a more robust approach to events like this in the future.

"We can't say for certain that we can prevent all such events from taking place again. But we can say to Greater Manchester residents that there is no question of us turning a blind eye or adopting a permissive approach. 

"These events are illegal at any time, but particularly during a pandemic, and we will redouble our efforts to close them down and protect lives in Greater Manchester."

Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey admitted that Greater Manchester Police had intelligence on the Daisy Nook rave.

He said: "We did have information regarding that. We weren't able to locate precisely enough the location, although we had vague indications of it.

"There were a number of pieces of information in regards to the other events.

"We had followed that information trail to prevent one event previously on the same day, but what we think is that event moved in a pre-planned fashion to another pre-planned location.

"It's from that and learning from last week, we are making sure that we will have the appropriate resources to respond effectively if the public call us.

"A top priority for us will always be the safety of our communities and we will continue to strike the balance of proportionality and wider public safety with our overall response to incidents such as these ones. 

"Under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, we can intervene in incidents and prosecute anyone who has taken part in any illegal activity – whether that be drug supply or public disorder and any violence. 

"We are sending a strong warning to those thinking about attending such events - you could face enforcement action and receive a criminal record.

"I would also like to send a really clear message to organisers of illegal raves and events. 

"I would implore you to seriously consider the risks and understand that as organisers, it is your responsibility to keep people safe.  

"There are often young teenagers in attendance, who are putting their lives in your hands. 

"We also have to stress that we will do our very utmost to work with licensing authorities to ensure that anyone who is found organising these kind of events, or supplying equipment such as generators, is dealt with robustly and faces the fullest consequences. 

"You too could also face prosecution. So please, I would ask people to think beforehand and ask yourself if it’s worth it."

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